A son who doesn't resemble his father? Love you, old man, see you at Xuanwu Gate!

Chapter 206 Fighting
They've revealed their true financial situation.

According to Han Feizi, Mozi spent three years creating a wooden flying bird that could carry people, but it could only fly for one day.

Even so, it still amazes the world. The legend of immortals is unattainable, but the idea of ​​one's feet leaving the ground and soaring through the sky like a bird is an eternal pursuit for humankind.

That's the direction of the stars and the sea.

The eyes of the ministers and officials of both the Chinese and foreign dynasties, including nobles, marquises, relatives, and members of the imperial family, were brighter than the moon outside the palace when they looked at the wooden kite.

Knowing there might be danger, they still couldn't resist the urge to "fly".

According to Han Feizi, the main function of this weapon was to scout the enemy's situation. It allowed the scouts to observe the movements of enemy soldiers from a high vantage point, and even the commander's eating, drinking, and relieving himself could not escape the eyes of the scouts on the wooden kite. It was perfect for gaining the upper hand on the battlefield.

Among the officials of both dynasties, those skilled in both literature and martial arts immediately deduced the starting point of the wooden kite from the direction it flew from: Bailu Plain!
Or rather, Baling Plain, the plateau where Emperor Xiaowen's mausoleum is located, is over a hundred miles away, yet it was possible to fly all the way here. The ingenuity of the Mohists is truly a marvel of nature.

Faced with such an ingenious object, Liu Ju also became interested and "went to the front of the palace."

In the eighty years since the founding of the Han Dynasty, there had never been such a bizarre court meeting, with the emperor and his ministers almost leaving the palace.

As the wooden kite flew closer and closer, it grew larger and larger in people's field of vision, and its awe-inspiring power increased.

Prime Minister Gongsun Hong asked, "Old Master."

"Prime Minister Gongsun." The old magistrate spoke with slight respect.

He was not as old as Gongsun Hong, and in the eyes of the Mohists, Gongsun Hong's experience was very similar to that of Xunzi, the Confucian scholar, both in terms of his political philosophy and his teaching style.

More importantly, Gongsun Hong's actions were somewhat similar to those of Mozi, both being "enemies of Confucianism".

Furthermore, Gongsun Hong assisted the young emperor of the Han Dynasty in his reform efforts, correcting the emperor's mistakes and proposing a new imperial system. In terms of contributions alone, he may even surpass the aforementioned sages.

The only thing missing was his own academic doctrines. If he had made up for this, Gongsun Hong might have been the last great sage of Confucianism.

The Mohist school has produced many leaders in each generation, but truly great sages are few and far between. Therefore, the old leader held a deep sense of awe.

"How many days can it fly?"

"Five days."

"rare."

Gongsun Hong nodded, "The Mohist disciples have not been idle and have made considerable progress based on Gongshu Ban's 'Bamboo Magpie' technique."

Gongshu Ban, also known as Lu Ban, once made something similar. "Gongshu Ban carved bamboo and wood into a magpie, which flew for three days without landing." The flight time was even longer. It is truly rare for the Mohist school, which has been silent for so many years, to be able to catch up with and surpass the creations of its predecessors.

The old master looked embarrassed. "The progress of creation is not far off. Young Mo, come here."

Mo Zimo moved at the sound and came to the front, not daring to raise his head at all, which showed his nervousness.

"Your Majesty, Prime Minister, this is a descendant of Mozi from our sect. He is both intelligent and skillful. This child has made many improvements and advancements to the creation left by the sages," the old master said.

Creation is a matter of talent. Whether it's creating something from nothing or striving for perfection, if you can do it, you can do it; if you can't do it, you can't do it.

Relying solely on trial and error over time, or on sheer luck, is an extremely long process.

"Not bad," Liu Ju praised.

Gongsun Hong suddenly showed interest in the clever young man, "Would you like to become my disciple? I still need one more disciple to take my place."

This undisguised appreciation for talent startled Mo Zimo, who instinctively looked towards the old master.

The old master was taken aback, speechless at Gongsun Hong's blatant attempt to snatch someone away. It was truly difficult to comment that a great Confucian scholar would want to take a disciple of the Mohist school as his student.

However, after a moment's thought, the old master understood that among Gongsun Hong's many disciples, few were Confucian scholars, and many even "brought their own skills to their master."

Take, for example, Zhang Tang, the Imperial Censor, who is a true successor of the legal profession. Gongsun Hong still took him under his wing and helped him develop his talents. Perhaps this is the true meaning of Confucius's "education for all".
"Follow your heart, and don't be bound by any particular school of thought," the old master said to Mozi. A school of thought should serve people; people should not be controlled by a school of thought.

Mo Zimo thought about what he had seen and heard on his way out of the mountains. Gongsun Hong's reputation as a good prime minister was unmatched by any other minister. Such a person could obviously guide him in the direction of his life. After pondering for a moment, he bowed to Gongsun Hong and said, "Greetings, teacher."

"Good! Good! Good!" Gongsun Hong was clearly very pleased, saying "good" three times in a row. He helped his newly accepted disciple up and continued to ask, "Can it carry heavy loads in addition to being a charioteer?"

"can."

Mo Zimo's nervousness lessened considerably, and he said seriously, "It should not exceed 100 jin (50 kg)."

This statement sparked the interest of many military officers. If the wooden kite had such a carrying capacity, it could be equipped with fire oil or strong oil, ignited in the air, and then dropped. Whether for attacking cities or driving away enemies, it would be a good tactic.

“However, you need to climb high enough to feel the wind,” Mo Zimo added.

Wooden kites cannot fly on their own, nor is there any way to make them fly. They can only imitate the flight posture of birds by jumping from a high place and using the wind.

It's not flying, it's more like gliding.

Liu Ju understood. This was a non-powered glider, more valuable for reconnaissance than for actual combat, and it also required favorable weather and terrain. Interesting.

“These wooden kites and their riders alone cannot destroy my Holy Family,” said Zhong Dafu’erkuan, his eyes red.

The "battle situation" between Chen and Cai cannot be conveyed by wooden kites alone.

"Please, Your Majesty and the Princes, ascend the city gate of Xi'an. At 1:15 AM, the Mohists will engage in martial arts!" the old master said in a deep voice.

It was like a thunderclap. Not only was Liu Ju shocked, but the ministers and officials of both dynasties also changed their expressions drastically.

"Jiaowu".

The Mohists' way of expressing complete submission was to surrender all weapons and never use force again.

These are the words left behind by Mozi.

When peace reigns and a prosperous age arrives, when there is no tyranny, no tyrants in the dynasty, and no cruel officials in the court, that will be the day when the Mohists engage in martial arts and cultivate the land.

Throughout the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, and from the Qin Dynasty to the present day, in the hundreds of years of Chinese history, the Mohists have never declared that they would give up the use of force. But today, the leader of the Mohists wants to "hand over the use of force." How can this not cause a great stir?

This signifies that the Mohists recognized the current dynasty, or more precisely, the rule of a young ruler, a peaceful and prosperous era, and the arrival of a golden age!

This was a devastating blow to the many Confucian officials who were dissatisfied with the emperor's rule and harbored resentment.

The Mohists have lost their sage lineage, yet they still want to use their entire doctrine to endorse the rule of a superior ruler—they've gone mad! The Mohists have gone mad!

Regardless of what those with ulterior motives might think, on a clear autumn morning, the emperor and his ministers ascended the Xi'an Gate of Chang'an City and, from afar, saw countless disciples of Mozi rushing towards them.

"These are training puppets!"

"That's a repeating crossbow!"

"A rotating crossbow?"

"Heavens above, this...this is a chariot?"

"..."

As the important artifacts of the Mohist school recorded in the book were revealed one by one, exclamations of surprise rose and fell from the city gate tower.

The old patriarch looked at Er Kuan, Chu Da, and the others, and said ruthlessly, "Is killing your Kong family enough?"

(End of this chapter)